What I Learned In Law School
by abbierena
Summary: Casey is an ambitious first-year law student who is new to the area and longing for her undergrad years. Alex is an accomplished third-year law student with a promising future after graduation. What will happen when their paths cross?
1. Prologue

******A/N: So this is an idea I've been toying with for a couple of years, but I finally decided to sit down and write it. I know it's short, but this is just a little intro. I hope you like it. :)**

**August 1995**

Casey dropped her heavy suitcases on the ground and tried to take in her surroundings. She felt like a college freshman all over again. Instead of the apartment she had lived in last school year with her friends, she was now in campus housing and she was assigned a roommate that she hadn't met.

Casey didn't have a traditional college experience, but she had lived it to the fullest. There were no frat parties or going Greek, but she had spent four years as a starting pitcher on an NCAA Division 1 softball team. Her games had been televised on ESPN, she had pitched in the Women's College World Series and she had her fair share of achievements in the classroom—graduating Summa Cum Laude and publishing an article in her school's political science journal—but those were her undergraduate years. With the flip of a tassel on her mortarboard and the calling of her name at a graduation ceremony, Casey went from an accomplished college senior to a first-year law student. She knew nobody and nobody knew her. To make matters worse, she had no idea what to expect from law school or if she would even survive her first year. This wasn't just any law school she was attending. Casey Novak had made it into Harvard Law School and the show was about to begin.

* * *

><p>Alex Cabot walked into her one-bedroom apartment near Harvard that was no bigger than the size of a closet in her childhood home. It may not have been the most spacious or most glamorous place she had ever lived in, but it was the first place that was ever truly her own—well, as much of her own as it could be considering she was <em>renting<em> the apartment and sharing a bedroom with her best friend and fellow law student Abbie Carmichael.

Abbie wasn't the easiest person to live with, but Alex loved her regardless. It had to be love if she was willing to spend countless nights on the couch while Abbie bedded nameless women whom she'd promise to call and then throw away their phone number the moment they left.

Alex would never admit to it, but she liked to live vicariously through Abbie because Abbie had the gall to do what Alex never could. Abbie had at least two women each week—sometimes two women in bed with her at once while Alex had gone without sex since—now that she thought about it—she had never really had sex with a woman. She had offers, _many _offers, but she never felt as if the time or person were right. She had the grades and a promising future awaited her after graduation, but there was something or _someone_ missing in Alex's life. Alex Cabot was a third-year law student and a hopeless romantic—the most masochistic combination.


	2. At First Sight

**A/N: Thanks so much for all of the reviews. All of that positive feedback inspired me to update this ASAP. :)**

Casey didn't have the privilege of meeting her roommate until the next morning. Upon seeing her for the first time, Casey wasn't sure what she had gotten herself into. Her blonde hair, blue-eyed roommate barged into their room around six in the morning without caring whether or not Casey was asleep or awake. She gingerly laid her Louis Vuitton luggage down on the bed and turned on every light in the room. She hadn't even been formally introduced to her and Casey already knew she was noisy and inconsiderate.

"Do you mind turning that off?" Casey asked as politely as she could.

"But it's morning," her roommate responded. "You should be awake already. This is law school, not our undergrad years."

"Class doesn't start until tomorrow," Casey reminded her.

"I know," her roommate said and rolled her eyes. "That means we only have one day to unpack and make this place look decent. I'm Serena, by the way."

"I'm Casey. Nice to meet you, I guess." It was a lie, but Casey didn't want her to know she wasn't too thrilled with her first impression.

Her roommate Serena served as the first reminder that Casey was no longer at a public university. All of her friends from her undergraduate years were from working-class or middle-class families. A few of them lived comfortably, but were far from wealthy. Serena Southerlyn was the poster child for Old Money. She came in wheeling designer luggage, wearing an outfit that cost as much as Casey's entire wardrobe, and acting as if she was entitled to everything. _She's going to crash and burn here_, Casey thought until it finally dawned on her that this was Harvard Law School and Serena and her 'kind' were probably going to be the majority.

Casey came from a working-class background. There were times when her family struggled and money was tight, but there was always love in the Novak household. She started imagining what Serena's home life was like and that hypothetical Southerlyn household made Casey feel better about herself while, at the same time, feel bad about Serena. She imagined a loveless household where Serena was constantly judged by her parents. Casey hoped it wasn't true, but she had a feeling it was. Maybe she would try to befriend her after all.

Not wanting to interrupt Serena's packing, Casey quickly showered and threw on a pair of jeans and a tank top. She didn't know where to go in her new city, so she decided on something familiar, something that got her through her undergraduate years: coffee and lots of it. There was a Starbucks near campus and Casey saw it as the perfect place to unwind all the while exploring some of her new city.

After ordering her drink, Casey found an empty table nearby. Before she could even make her way toward the table, a blonde woman ran into her as she hurried over to that same table. The blonde's textbooks fell to the floor and, even worse, her coffee spilled all over Casey's shirt. Casey tried to make a joke about it, but the woman became flustered and grabbed some napkins so she could help Casey get cleaned up.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "I really should have been more considerate. If you want the table, it's yours."

"Really, it's fine," Casey insisted. "I should take my coffee to go. On the plus side, at least yours was iced coffee. If not, I really would have taken a scalding."

She had expected her to laugh, but the young woman just looked at her expressionless, which made Casey feel bad for her. When her name was called, Casey said a quick goodbye to the blonde and headed back to her apartment. She had barely moved to Cambridge and she was already having the worst luck. Not wanting to get into any other embarrassing situations, Casey decided unpacking with Serena probably wasn't such a bad idea.

* * *

><p>Alex spent the rest of the day feeling embarrassed. It was rare that a woman caught her eye and the one time it actually happens, she ends up spilling coffee all over her. Had Alex been in a romantic comedy, she would have asked the fiery redhead on a date and then kissed her that very night, but her life was far from a romantic comedy. She was 24-years-old and hadn't done so much as <em>kiss <em>a woman since she was 19.

Against her will, Alex went out with Abbie later that night. Abbie was a fun person, but going out with her was always the same and it had been ever since they met during their first year of law school. While at a bar, Abbie had received some unwanted attention, so Alex decided to step in and pretend she was her girlfriend. Never being one to learn a lesson, Abbie immediately hit on Alex and after Alex declined she bought her a drink anyway and they spent the rest of the night talking. From that night on, they were inseparable and Abbie realized there were benefits to having a female friend who didn't want to sleep with her.

When they got to the bar, Alex ordered a drink while Abbie began sizing up her prospects. Once she saw two blondes talking to each other in the corner, Alex knew she had lost her for the night.

Alex was on her second drink by the time Abbie returned acting like a cat in heat.

"Lex, I'm going home with them. I'll see you in a few hours. You okay going home by yourself?"

"You're going home with both of them?" Alex asked in disbelief.

"Alex, they're _twins_," Abbie pointed out. "I'd be stupid if I _didn't _go home with them. I've had threesomes before, but never with twins. They think you're cute, too. You want to join us?"

"You know I'd never do that."

"Suit yourself," Abbie said and gave Alex a hug before leaving.

Alex closed her tab and decided to take the subway home. She was alone again and as she walked her thoughts went back to the woman she had spilled coffee on earlier that day.

_That's the kind of woman I could see myself with_, Alex thought while changing into her pajamas.


	3. Crying Over Spilled Coffee

Casey was woken up by the sound of Serena's alarm blaring. She looked at the clock that read 5 a.m. Casey wanted to shut off the alarm until she realized that alarm was set for her as well. Without intending to, Casey and Serena had signed up for the same classes. They were relieved when they found out because neither girl wanted to go through their first semester of law school alone.

After spending time unpacking with Serena, Casey started to see her in a different light. She was right about her being a spoiled rich girl, but she learned that Serena wasn't a snob at all. While in her undergraduate years, Serena was involved in different LGBT organizations and advocated for gay rights. She wasn't a drunken sorority girl as Casey had expected her to be. Casey was nervous about coming out to Serena, so she was grateful when Serena came out to her first. She didn't try to prepare Casey or worry about what Casey's reaction would be. Instead, she casually mentioned it as if it were just a small part of who she was. It took a lot of nerve to be as out as Serena was and she _did _face backlash from her parents and undergraduate classmates, but none of that phased Serena. She was who she was and there was no way she'd change that for anybody. Casey admired that about her, especially because she wasn't out to her parents. Instead of judging her, Serena offered to take her under her wing, so to speak, and help her 'come out' when she was ready. After spending only a few hours with her, Casey knew she already admired her and it was only a matter of time before Serena would become her best friend.

Casey glanced at the clock again, the clock that now read 5:07. She still couldn't believe how early she was awake and how different her life in law school would be in comparison to her life as an undergraduate. As an undergraduate, she only enrolled in afternoon and evening classes, but in law school she had no choice. She was a first-year student and first-year students were always tortured with the early classes.

Casey and Serena dozed off before waking up again at six o'clock. Their first class was scheduled to start in an hour and they would have no time to eat a good breakfast beforehand, so they quickly showered, got dressed, and then grabbed a Pop-Tart from Casey's stash before heading out the door and walking as fast as they could to their first class.

Casey and Serena were out of breath after their twenty-minute walk. They were five minutes late to a class of only twenty students, so they weren't able to just sneak in and find a seat without their professor noticing them. All eyes were on them so Casey and Serena apologized for interrupting the class. They expected to be kicked out of class, but their professor gave them a free pass because it was their first day at a new school. They thanked their professor, but his assistant wasn't that understanding. When she thought they weren't looking, she rolled her eyes at Casey and Serena and then continued to pass out the syllabus.

When it came time for their professor's assistant to introduce herself, Casey noticed that Serena was in a trance. His assistant was a beautiful brunette with a noticeable southern accent.

"I'm Abigail Carmichael, but you can call me Abbie," she said. "This is my third year at Harvard Law so if any of you have any questions about this class or any of the resources that are available to you, please don't hesitate to come to me."

"I'd love to come to her," Serena whispered to Casey.

"Stop," Casey said and tried to stifle a giggle.

"Oh, like you wouldn't?" Serena asked. "Do you think she'd offer me some extra credit?"

Their professor looked directly at Serena. "Is there a problem, Miss..?"

"Miss Southerlyn," Serena responded. "And, no, I'm just nervous about my first day."

It was a horrible cover-up, but their professor didn't want to waste anymore time. Casey and Serena had wanted to hide after they were called out. Everyone around them began taking notes and listening closely while they felt like a couple of undergrads, especially with Serena nearly drooling over their professor's assistant.

* * *

><p>Alex leaned against a wall just outside Abbie's classroom and waited for her to come out. A few students had already left, but Alex had a feeling Abbie was being held up by the eager first-year students who wanted to get on her good side. As an assistant, Abbie was in charge of their grades and all of the other tasks that the professor didn't want to busy himself with. It wasn't exactly how she pictured her third year of law school, but her paid internship ended in the summer and she needed the stipend. Plus, the experience would look good on her resume.<p>

Another ten minutes had passed before Abbie finally left the classroom carrying a stack of papers that she was supposed to drop off at the school's main office.

"How did it go?" Alex asked.

"Oh, you mean what's it like being Professor Stuart's bitch?" Abbie responded. "Splendid, just splendid. I think the only reason he hired me is because he wants to have sex with me. He doesn't take me seriously and he's always eyeing me. He has a male assistant who is a third-year and less accomplished than I am, but he goes to _him _for input on his articles and sends _me _on meaningless errands like getting his coffee and dropping off his papers. On top of that, I have to keep up with my classes and then grade his students papers."

"Abs," Alex said and wrapped her arms around her. "Don't put yourself through that, especially if he makes you feel uncomfortable. My uncle Bill still has connections in Boston, I'm sure he can arrange something for you."

"Thanks, but you know how I feel about that. I want something based on my own merit, not because my best friend has connections."

"I know," Alex sighed. "Just promise me you'll think about it."

Alex came from old money in Boston, which she tried unsuccessfully to hide. Her classmates were aware of her connections both in Boston and New York City and many of them would try to befriend her in hopes that they'd be able to meet her family. She was able to see right through them and she found it easier just to keep to herself instead of having to wonder if she was being used for her family connections. The fact that Abbie cared about her instead of trying to use her to get to her family was so refreshing for Alex and she actually didn't mind offering her family's connections to her although she knew Abbie wouldn't utilize them.

"How were the twins last night?" Alex asked in hopes of cheering her up.

"They were okay," Abbie said nonchalantly.

"Okay?" Alex asked in disbelief. "Abbie, twins have been your fantasy since…forever."

"You're such a virgin, Alex," Abbie teased. "It was great, but it gets old. A new woman every time—there's really no challenge. Even though the women are different, I do the same things to them and the same things get done to me. What if the real challenge is in mastering the art of pleasing _one _woman?"

"Oh, you mean monogamy?"

Abbie gasped. "Don't say that word in my presence! Monogamy sounds like a disease. There's no beauty in it. I'm talking about_ pleasuring _one woman, not sending her flowers and going on double dates with her friends."

"Do you have a woman in mind?" Alex asked.

"That one, the blonde" Abbie said as she pointed to one of her first-year students. "I saw her eyeing me and I think she'd be fun to corrupt."

Alex casually peeked inside the classroom and looked at the woman Abbie had in mind, the one who just happened to be standing next to the woman of her dreams.

"Abbie, that's her!" Alex said, trying to contain her excitement.

"That's what I just said, Alex."

"No, not your blonde—the redhead. She's the one I was telling you about yesterday."

"The one you spilled coffee on like a dumbass?"

Alex started blushing. "Yeah."

"Her name is Casey," Abbie informed her. "You should try asking her out or doing something other than spilling coffee on her."

"I can't ask her out," Alex said frantically. "How would I even approach her? I have no need to approach her. I'm not in class with her. I don't live in her building. I don't have—"

"What you don't have is a clue," Abbie teased. "Why don't you just go up to her and introduce yourself. I'll even go with you if you want. I'll start talking to her about class and then you could say that she looks familiar. You two will try to figure out where you've met and then when she brings up the coffee incident, you apologize and then you'll both start laughing about it. That's when you offer to make it up to her by taking her out for coffee and then make a joke about not spilling it on her this time."

"What if that doesn't work?"

"Trust me, it'll work."

Alex averted her eyes. "No, I'm too nervous. I'll talk to her some other time."

"You're going to be a virgin for the rest of your life, Alexandra," Abbie said and started laughing. "Let's get out of here. I have to drop these papers off."

Alex may not have asked her out, but she still felt accomplished—she had learned her name and she figured that had to be the first step toward getting to know her.


	4. Wingwoman

Their first week of law school had gone by without much excitement. Nothing life-altering had happened to them and they had gotten lost more times than they'd like to admit. Casey and Serena were given more homework than they had expected, especially from Professor Stuart's class. They knew he had a brilliant legal mind, but they began noticing how he made his assistant Abbie do all of the work. She had only seen her twice and she hadn't spoken a single word to her outside of class, but Serena was already obsessed with Abbie. Casey gave her a hard time about it, but Serena barely noticed. She was too busy talking about how sexy Abbie's voice was even if it was a bit raspy, how adorable her dimples were when she smiled, and how toned her legs looked. Casey never actually saw it happen, but Serena swore that Abbie winked at her during their lecture yesterday. Winking was something Casey could never picture Abbie doing. She'd never admit it to Serena, but Abbie scared the hell out of her. She seemed strict, overly confident, and like she had absolutely no respect for the opinions of others. Whenever one of Casey's classmates made a comment, Abbie would never hesitate to argue with him or her. Maybe it was her way of preparing them for life after law school, but Casey couldn't wait until the semester was over so she wouldn't have to see her anymore.

That Thursday night, Casey and Serena decided to go out to celebrate the fact that they had survived their first week of law school. Surviving their first week really wasn't a challenge, but they were so bored with their lives as first-year law students that they decided to mix things up a bit. They had originally planned on going to a local bar and grill, but Serena suggested that they venture into the city, preferably the gay part of the city. A new bar with a primarily lesbian clientele had just opened up and Serena couldn't wait to flirt with the women of Boston. Casey wasn't that interested in meeting women, but she was in no position to turn down a night out.

When they entered the bar, they realized it was a very low-key place. Everyone there was dressed casually and Serena started to regret her miniskirt, tube top, and boots. Casey was grateful she had decided on dark jeans and a green halter top. It wasn't considered dressy by most people's standards, but for a former college softball player dark jeans and a halter top were a far cry from the usual warm up clothes or a uniform.

"You look so easy," Casey teased.

"Good," Serena responded. "I haven't gotten laid in six months and I want to make sure every woman in here could sense that. Oh, women of Boston, I am yours to ravish."

"You're complaining about six months?" Casey asked in disbelief. "Try a year."

Casey expected Serena to comment on what she had just revealed, but Serena was no longer paying attention to her. Her eyes were fixated on a woman and Casey had a feeling she would be going home without Serena that night.

"I knew she was gay!" Serena said excitedly. "I knew it!"

"Who?" Casey asked, following Serena's gaze. "Is that Professor Stuart's assistant?"

"Tall, dark, and gorgeous? Yeah, that's her."

Serena was trying to work up the nerve to go over there and say hello, but before she could even leave her barstool, Abbie was already walking over to them.

"She's coming over here," Casey said playfully. "Your dream woman is coming over here."

"What do I do?" Serena asked. "What do I even say to her?"

"How about hello?" Abbie whispered into Serena's ear. Serena was taken aback, but that didn't worry Abbie. She knew she had her right where she wanted her.

"How much did you hear?" Serena asked.

Abbie winked at her. "Enough to know you're nervous about talking to me."

_Serena was right; she winks_, Casey thought as she observed the two of them.

Abbie started staring Casey up and down and Casey didn't know if she was sizing her up in front of Serena or _what _she was doing, but it was making her incredibly uncomfortable.

"You look familiar," Abbie said as she continued to look at her.

"You're my professor's assistant," Casey responded, wondering if Abbie was drunk. "You've seen me twice already."

"Obviously," Abbie said sarcastically. "But I've seen you somewhere else. What school did you go to?"

"University of Arizona," Casey responded quickly. "Did you go there?"

"No, I went to Texas, but—oh, that's it!" Abbie said excitedly. "You're a softball player! I saw you on TV. You won the championship last year and you looked so cute in your uniform. I watched the game with my best friend and she said you have a cute butt."

Casey was rendered speechless. She felt bad that Abbie was focusing on her instead of Serena, but she had a feeling that Abbie had an ulterior motive for talking to her about softball.

"My best friend is waiting for me at one of the booths and I hate leaving her alone. It's un-southern of me," Abbie said and winked at Serena. "It's also un-southern of me not to invite you ladies to join us."

"Oh, it's okay," Casey told her. She knew how much Serena wanted to be with Abbie, but she didn't like where this was heading. She didn't want to spend the rest of the night making small talk with Abbie's friend while Abbie and Serena had sex in a bathroom stall.

"Tell you what," Abbie began to say as she slowly ran her fingers up Serena's arm. "Why don't you two think about it and if you change your mind, I'll be at the booth in the corner."

Casey noticed Serena staring as Abbie was practically strutting toward the booth. While on her way over there, she quickly stopped to talk to two other women and even kissed one on the cheek.

"She's a womanizer," Casey warned Serena. "Look at how everyone reacts to her. It seems as if these women aren't themselves. Either they go out of their way to impress her or they leave this place crying because she's broken their heart. I've noticed this in the thirty minutes that we've been here."

"It's not like I want her to be my girlfriend, Case," Serena pointed out. "If she's slept with so many women, she has to be good, right? I'm going to play her before she plays me."

"Fine," Casey said and got a grip on Serena's shoulders. "But why did you have to drag me into this?"

Serena gave her a pleading look. "You're my wing woman. Besides, what if Abbie's friend is hot?"

"The friend is never hot," Casey told her, wishing she could shake some sense into Serena.

"Please, Case. Do this for me? I really need to get laid tonight and it's not like you have to have sex with her friend. Just have a couple of drinks and make small talk while Abbie and I get each other off really quick."

"You owe me big, Serena, and I mean big."

* * *

><p>"I'm so good that it scares me," Abbie told Alex once she was back at their booth.<p>

"If you were good, they'd be here," Alex pointed out.

"You know nothing about women," Abbie told her. "They're not just going to come to the table with me because that would make them look easy—even though the blonde one is totally easy. The blonde already wants to come over, but she has to pretend she doesn't care either way. If the blonde comes over, her little redhead friend has to tagalong."

"And you're sure they'll come over?"

"This is my area of expertise, Alex. Besides, I can already tell blondie is wet for me."

"But what if Casey doesn't like me? What if she thinks I'm a jerk for spilling coffee on her? What if she—"

"Alex," Abbie interrupted. "You're absolutely beautiful and if she isn't into you, then I will give up sex tonight just so I can console you while we eat Ben & Jerry's and watch _Working Girl_."

Alex finally started to perk up. "I love _Working Girl_."

"There you go. Either way, it's going to be a good night, Alex."

_Oh, Abbie, I hope you're right. Please be right, _Alex thought as she saw Casey and Serena walk over to their booth.


	5. The Opposite of Abbie and Serena

**A/N: So, I'm updating this while watching 'Ghost'. Seeing Alex and Casey on screen together inspired me. They'd look too cute together.**

There were no words that could adequately express the amount of contempt Casey had for Serena at that moment. All throughout her undergraduate years, Casey had played the wingwoman and she had hoped it would change in law school. For once—just once—she wanted to be the one who had a particular woman in sight and the one who made that woman hers, but there she was in the same position she had been in for the past four years. Casey was about to turn twenty-two and, although she had been intimate with a few women, she had never had a girlfriend.

"Remember, it's just a couple of drinks," Serena whispered to her. Casey just rolled her eyes and pretended not to hear her. She knew it was immature, but it was better than saying something she'd probably regret.

"I knew you couldn't resist," Abbie said as Serena sat next to her at the booth.

"Don't flatter yourself," Serena said, her fingertips gently tracing Abbie's sides. "I had nothing better to do tonight."

"A feisty one. I like that." Without even introducing their friends, Abbie and Serena started making out in front of everyone.

Casey had yet to sit down at the booth, but the moment she saw what they were doing, she figured she might as well sit next to Abbie's friend to save her from being the third wheel. Figuring she'd be nowhere near as good-looking as Abbie, Casey wasn't nervous about approaching her. She wasn't worried about being tongue-tied or making a bad first impression. This was only drinks and there were absolutely no strings attached.

"I guess we're their audience," Casey said as she sat next to Abbie's friend. When she finally took a good look at her, her heart started racing.

_She's not as good-looking as Abbie,_ Casey thought. _She's actually hotter than her, but why does she look so familiar?_

They hadn't spoken more than a few words to each other but Casey was already feeling herself getting lost in the blonde sitting next to her. She had the most beautiful blue eyes and her glasses only enhanced their beauty. She was so slender and delicate—_almost like porcelain_, Casey thought. Casey began to focus on her long blonde hair that was half down and half pinned back with a small clip. Her eyes then moved lower until they were focused on Alex's lips. _Red lipstick? Not many women can pull that off, but it looks so flawless on her. _Casey started to wonder if it was the type of lipstick that didn't rub off when kissing and she made it her own personal goal to find out by the end of the night.

"I'm Casey," she said nervously. After seeing how beautiful 'the friend' was, she had lost all of her confidence.

"Alex," the blonde responded just as nervously.

"You look so familiar, Alex, but I'm having a hard time placing you."

"I spilled coffee on you," Alex said and averted her eyes.

"Oh, that was _you_?" Casey asked. "Had I known you were _you _I wouldn't have minded as much."

"If you knew I was me?" Alex asked, confused.

"I don't even know what I'm saying," Casey admitted.

"I was trying to place you, too."

"Oh, really?" Casey asked playfully.

"I just realized I've seen you on ESPN—on the Women's College World Series. You played for Arizona."

Casey started laughing once she remembered what Abbie had shared with her earlier. "So you're the one who thinks I have a cute butt?"

"Guilty," Alex said with the slightest hint of blush on her cheeks.

Casey glanced across the table and noticed that Abbie and Serena had gone from making out and pawing each other to delicately kissing and whispering things into each other's ears.

"Let's get out of here," Abbie told her.

"And go where?" Serena asked.

Abbie playfully nibbled Serena's ear. "My bed. I don't want some quickie in a bathroom stall or behind the building. A woman like you deserves to be worshipped all night."

Casey had a feeling Abbie said that to almost every woman she had sex with, but Serena didn't even question it. She grabbed Abbie's hand and led her out the door without even saying a single word to Casey and Alex, leaving the two of them with no idea what to do next.

* * *

><p><em>It's official, I'm going to kill Abbie Carmichael<em>, Alex thought as she saw her friend take off. She enjoyed getting to spend time with Casey, but she had no idea what to do next. Should they stay at the bar? Should she invite her somewhere? It was already close to midnight, already too late for dinner or even appetizers, so Alex knew that plan was out. There were always parks and coffee shops to go to, but going to a park might make Casey think she wanted to get her alone and going to coffee shop at midnight just seemed unusual when there was no need to pull an all-nighter.

"Do you want something to drink?" Alex asked, figuring they might as well stay at the bar.

"I can get it," Casey told her.

"No," Alex insisted. "Please, let me buy you one. It's my way of simultaneously welcoming you to Boston and making up for spilling coffee on you."

"Well, when you put it that way…" Casey teased. "I'll have a Pomegranate Martini."

"One Pomegranate Martini coming up," Alex told her. She got up from the booth and couldn't help noticing that Casey was checking her out as she was leaving. _She's checking me out. The woman of my dreams is checking me out. Just stay cool, Alex. You're new to this, but you're doing okay. Stay cool. Stay cool._

"Wow, you didn't spill it on me," Casey said jokingly when Alex returned with her drink.

"Is that your way of saying thank you?"

"Oh, I have other ways of saying thank you," Casey said as she smiled at Alex. Her smile made Alex blush uncontrollably. _Is this really happening? This can't be happening. Is she actually flirting with me?_

"Such as?"

Casey took a quick sip of her drink. "Well, other than thank you, there's Danke, grazie, gracias—"

"Oh, stop," Alex said and started laughing.

"What are you drinking?" Casey asked. "It looks…interesting."

"You should try it," Alex said and carefully slid her drink over to Casey. "I _love _Red-Headed Sluts."

Casey nearly started choking on her drink once she heard what Alex had said. _Good one, Alex. Now she thinks you have a redhead fetish and only want one thing from her._

"Oh, so that's what this is about?" Casey teased.

"No!" Alex said quickly. "That's the name of the drink."

"I know," Casey told her as she put her hand on top of Alex's. "I was just giving you a hard time. The set up was all so perfect, too."

_Her hand is on top of mine? Her hand is on top of mine! Now, what do I do? Can I kiss her? No, not here. Then where?_

"Do you want to go back to my place?" Alex asked. After hearing the question, she wondered where she got the nerve to ask that.

"What happened to me not being a red-headed slut?" Casey responded.

"I'm—I'm not like Abbie," Alex stammered. "I'm not going to try anything with you. I'm not just after one thing. I'd just prefer getting to know you in some other setting than a bar. There's a coffee shop near my apartment. If you'd feel more comfortable, we can go there instead. I just really don't want to say goodbye to you yet."

_Smooth, Alex. Now she probably thinks you're obsessed with her._

"Tell you what," Casey said as she went from cupping Alex's hand to intertwining their fingers. "Let's go to that coffee shop you were talking about so we don't have to hear what Abbie and Serena are doing to each other. I want to get to know you without hearing any excessive moaning or slews of obscenities in the background."

"Great," Alex said and started smiling. "I promise not to spill anything on you this time."


	6. Anxiety

Casey remembered where the coffee shop was, but she wanted Alex to lead the way. Alex was nervous and Casey thought letting her lead might give her some confidence. Just by looking at Alex, Casey assumed she was confident, but she had no idea why Alex was acting the way she was. Was she trying to make Casey feel in control? Was this her technique when it came to dating? Was Abbie the smooth-talker and Alex the one who let her women take the lead? _No, she's not just going to have sex with me the way Abbie is with Serena._

They took the subway back to Harvard Square, which was an experience in and of itself for Casey. She had never done anything like that while she lived in Tucson and she would have been confused if not for Alex explaining the subway system to her.

"It's so much cheaper than taking a cab, which is important," Alex told her. "You're a law school student and I have a feeling you're just as broke as I am. Taking the subway will save you so much money."

"How do I know which one to take?" Casey asked, hoping she didn't sound like a tourist in her new city.

Alex just smiled at her. "Take Ashmont or Braintree if you want to get into the city. Alewife will take you back to campus or deeper into Cambridge. That's just the red line, which is what I consider the main artery. I'll explain the green line, orange line, blue line, and silver line to you some other time."

"Don't want to overwhelm me?"

"Exactly," Alex responded. "I've lived here since I was 18, so I practically have the map memorized, but when I was new to the city I got lost so many times."

"I won't get lost."

"What makes you so sure?"

"I have you now," Casey said as she laced her fingers with Alex's. She waited for a reaction from Alex, but she still had that same smile on her face. It had been a little over two hours since they had become acquainted, but Casey already knew she could fall in love with that smile.

* * *

><p>With her fingers still intertwined with Casey's, Alex made her way over to the coffee shop. It was filled with graduate students and undergraduates studying and meeting with new friends and old friends alike. All of the tables were occupied, but Alex didn't mind. She ordered two coffees to go and asked Casey if she would object to sitting outside. Alex would have preferred to sit inside, but she soon realized that sitting outside would be so much more intimate.<p>

All of the outside tables were occupied as well, so Alex suggested that they sit on a nearby bench. The bench was in a more secluded area, which made Alex start to feel uneasy. She wanted to kiss Casey more than she had ever wanted to kiss anybody before, but she worried about her thinking she was putting the moves on her too soon.

"I'm sorry about us having to sit out here," Alex told her once they were seated on the bench.

"I'm not," Casey responded. "I've been waiting almost two hours to be alone with you."

"How's your coffee?" Alex asked, changing the subject.

"Not bad," Casey said hesitantly. "Actually, it's a little sweet."

"I put too much sugar, didn't I?" Alex said and nearly smacked her own forehead. "I knew I shouldn't have put so much sugar."

"Alex, it's okay," Casey insisted. "It's not that big of a deal. You need to learn how to relax."

"I'm usually not like this," Alex admitted. "It's just that I've never been on a date before—not that this is a date—unless you want it to be. Do you want it to be? Oh, Alex, just shut up. Shut up before you scare her away."

"You're not scaring me away," Casey said and started laughing.

"I said that out loud?"

Casey nodded and squeezed Alex's hand. "How are you going to become a lawyer when you lose your composure around a first-year law student?"

"I'll be fine," Alex insisted. "I don't think anyone I ever encounter in a courtroom will be as cute as you are."

"You think I'm cute?"

"I think you're gorgeous," Alex said and kissed her on the cheek.

"And she actually makes a move," Casey teased.

"Keep that up and a kiss on the cheek is all you'll be getting tonight."

Casey kept up her playful tone. "She makes a move and she's becoming bold?"

She knew Casey was just teasing, but there was something about her tone of voice that Alex found irresistible. By teasing her, she was actually putting Alex at ease, which is something that not too many people have accomplished.

_She wants me to kiss her_, Alex thought. _She's being so playful right now._

Alex wasn't exactly certain that Casey wanted her to kiss her, but she decided it was time to lose her inhibitions. Before she could lose her nerve, she placed one hand on the back of Casey's neck and leaned in to kiss her. Their lips met for less than ten seconds, but it was long enough for Alex to know she would never grow tired of kissing this woman.

"Where did you learn how to kiss like that?" Casey asked.

"I was just doing what felt right with you," Alex responded.

Casey winked at her. "What else do you feel like doing with me?"

"This," Alex said and kissed her again.

"Your lipstick smudged on me," Casey blurted out.

"I'm sorry."

"No, no, don't be sorry," Casey said as she wrapped her arms around Alex. "It was just my goal to find out if your lipstick smudged."

"So you've been wanting to kiss me this whole time?"

"Since the moment I saw you," Casey admitted. "Just so you know, it was even better than I had imagined."

Not too long after they kissed, Alex walked Casey to her dorm and then made the short trek back to her apartment. She wanted to spin around like a little girl, she wanted to shout out her feelings to the entire world, and she even wanted to tell Abbie all of the details although she knew Abbie would probably think of it as nothing but child's play.

Alex was reluctant to walk into her apartment for fear of seeing Abbie having sex with Serena on one of the many surfaces in their apartment. When she opened the door, she saw that all of the lights were off and there wasn't so much as a peep being made.

"Abbie?" She called out.

"I'm in the room," Abbie responded.

"Are you decent?"

"As decent as you've ever seen me."

Alex turned on their bedroom light and saw her best friend sitting up and wearing her pajamas. She knew Abbie never asked girls to spend the night, but Alex felt as if it was still a little too early for Serena to be gone.

"Where's Serena?"

"She left," Abbie said glumly.

"Already?"

"I had performance anxiety," Abbie admitted.

"Can lesbians get performance anxiety?" Alex asked.

"I wasn't wet, Alex," Abbie said, frustrated. "She's sexy and she was doing everything that usually turns me on, but nothing was happening down there. While we were making out, it dawned on me that she's my student and I can't be having sex with her. If she were to tell someone, I could lose my job and be completely screwed over. Even though I didn't have sex with her, I'm still screwed. She could still tell someone. This never happens to me, Alex. What if she tells someone that I'm bad in bed and word gets around?"

Alex sat down on the bed next to her and gave Abbie a hug. She wasn't used to seeing her like this and she was willing to do anything to make it better. "Here's a radical thought," Alex began saying. "What if she really likes you? Have you ever thought about liking a woman and having an actual relationship with one?"

"I'm so fucked! Absolutely fucked!" Abbie said angrily. "And not in the way I usually am."

At that point, there was no consoling Abbie. This was something she'd have to learn on her own. After listening to Abbie rant, Alex got into her own bed and fell asleep thinking about what she had just experienced with Casey.


	7. A Kid With A New Toy

The entire weekend passed without a word from Serena about what had happened between her and Abbie. Casey started to assume Serena wasn't the type who'd kiss and tell, but the more she thought about it the more she knew that wasn't right. If Abbie were her girlfriend, she could see why Serena would refuse to tell, but Abbie wasn't her girlfriend and she had no romantic feelings for her whatsoever. Abbie was purely bragging rights for Serena, yet Serena wasn't even bragging. Every time she would try to bring up her night with Abbie, Serena would change the subject or shrug it off. _Something isn't right about this_, Casey thought. She would have continued to interrogate Serena, but Serena had gone from shrugging it off to becoming annoyed and the last thing Casey wanted to do was lose the only friend she had at school, so she decided to let it go.

Casey had wanted to spend more time with Alex that weekend, but in the midst of all their excitement and nervousness they had forgotten to exchange any contact information. She had neither Alex's phone number nor her address, but even though Casey didn't get to talk to her or spend any time with her, Alex was still weighing heavily on her mind. She spent the rest of her weekend fantasizing about their kiss. It might not have been the most passionate kiss, but Casey knew there was no other woman she would rather be kissing. Often, she would get lost in her fantasies of kissing Alex and take them to the next level. She'd start to fantasize about how soft Alex's skin must feel and what it would be like to make love to her. The fantasies excited Casey, but she refused to do anything about them out of guilt. Alex was a beautiful, kind-hearted woman and she wasn't about to take advantage of her. Casey wasn't sure what would become of this fling they were having, but she knew if they ever did make love to each other it would be the most intense experience of her life.

When Casey and Serena took their seats in Professor Stuart's class that Monday morning, she noticed Abbie and Serena both seemed so depressed. Serena was usually a good student, but she spent that entire class session doodling in her notebook and gazing at Abbie. It wasn't the lustful gaze she had given her the other night. Rather, Serena was gazing at her adoringly.

_So, that's what this is about,_ Casey thought. _Those two want each other. It's not purely physical, but they can't have each other until the semester is over. Thank goodness Alex isn't an assistant. There you go thinking about Alex again. Stop it, Casey. You're in class. Time to focus. Focus, Casey._

"Are you okay?" Serena whispered.

"Yeah, why?"

"You just smacked yourself on the forehead right now," Serena told her. Casey didn't believe her until she saw that her professor and her classmates were staring at her.

"Is there a problem, Miss Novak?" Professor Stuart asked.

"No problem at all," Casey responded. She wanted to run out of that classroom, but she knew it was only a matter of time before everyone took their focus off of her. All throughout her undergraduate years, she had never been called out in class the way she had just been right now and it was all because of Alex. Alex was making her lose focus, but Casey didn't mind a single bit. She was willing to put up with one embarrassing moment after another if it meant getting to be with Alex.

As soon as class ended, Abbie approached the two of them. Casey had noticed she had lost all of her confidence the moment she was face-to-face with them and so did Serena.

"Hi," Abbie said sheepishly.

"Hi," Serena told her.

"Casey, I have something for you," Abbie said to her. She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it over to Casey, who unfolded it right away. Written on that tiny strip of paper, was Alex's phone number with a note next to it that said, "_Call me anytime." _Casey knew Alex wouldn't have written that if she knew what she was getting herself into. Now that she had Alex's phone number and permission to use it, she was going to call her at least two or three times a day.

"Alex's phone number," Serena mentioned. "You and Alex are roommates, so does that mean this is your phone number, too?"

"I knew you were brilliant," Abbie said. Casey noticed she had started reaching for Serena's hand, but had to quickly pull back. "I'm really sorry."

"So am I," Serena told her.

"You know I want to more than anything, but I—"

"I know," Serena interrupted. "I wish it were—"

"So do I," Abbie said. They were saying absolutely nothing and everything at the same time and all Casey could do was watch everything unfold in front of her. There was more to this situation than they were willing to share with her, but Casey just had to find out.

"See you in class on Wednesday?" Serena asked.

"Yeah, bright and early," Abbie responded.

Once they were walking back to their dorm, Casey noticed the glum look on Serena's face had returned. "Serena, what's wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Is it Abbie?" Casey asked.

Just hearing her name set Serena off. "You're so lucky, Casey. You can have Alex all you want. You can hold her hand in public. You can go on dates with her. If you wanted, you could announce to the whole school that you kissed her. I can't do any of that with Abbie."

Casey was taken aback. "So, you and Abbie—"

"I don't want to talk about it," Serena said angrily.

* * *

><p>As was becoming routine, Alex stood outside of the classroom waiting for Abbie. She was also hoping to catch Casey on her way out, but she had just missed her.<p>

"More copies to make?" Alex asked.

"You know it," Abbie responded. "Welcome to week two of me being Stuart's bitch."

"I can still talk to my uncle Bill," Alex casually suggested.

"Alex," Abbie groaned.

"I'm just throwing it out there," Alex reassured her.

"I know," Abbie finally smiled. "I gave Casey the note."

"And?" Alex asked excitedly.

"She looked like a kid with a new toy. You know that girl is going to call you five times a day."

"That's what I'm hoping," Alex said dreamily. "What was it like seeing Serena again?"

"Excruciating."

"Is she upset that you two didn't have sex?"

"She's upset, but not because of that," Abbie began. "Alex, there's something I didn't tell you. Serena and I did have sex that night and, call me a cornball if you'd like, but it was life-altering."

"But you—"

"Alex, Alex," Abbie interrupted and shook her head. "You should know me well enough to know that I'm a machine. Me with performance anxiety? Please."

"Then why did you tell me you didn't have sex with her?"

"I knew the whole lie about performance anxiety would get you off my back," Abbie told her. "I love you, Alex, but you're a hopeless romantic and I'm the exact opposite."

"But you like Serena, don't you?"

Alex turned her head and saw that her best friend was actually blushing.

"It's too soon to tell," Abbie told her. "But I know I like spending time with her. This wasn't some 'hit it and quit it' thing with her. When we had sex, it didn't last too long because we couldn't wait. We were both too excited to hold back. After that, we started talking and the kid kind of grew on me. I think I developed what you people call a heart."

"Abbie Carmichael has a heart?" Alex asked in disbelief. "There's no way."

"I know," Abbie said. "I don't want one. I was fine before. I was happy. I was—"

"You were missing something," Alex pointed out. "You were missing a beautiful blonde, but you didn't know it yet."

"No way," Abbie told her. "I've had one for the past two years. She's been my sidekick and my best friend and I could never have adjusted to this snooty school without her."

"Abbie?"

"What?"

"I'm completely flattered, but you're changing the subject."

Abbie sighed. "I was hoping you wouldn't notice. Why does she have to be my student, Alex? The only woman I've ever been interested in seeing and she just happens to be my student."

"She wouldn't be your student if you let me talk to Uncle Bill," Alex pointed out. The look on Abbie's face let Alex know that wasn't the solution. Abigail Carmichael was the most stubborn woman she had ever met and there was no way she was going to budge.

There was still time before her first class began, so Alex decided to grab a cup of coffee and go through some of her notes. She tried to be productive, but she kept getting lost in thoughts about Casey. She had wanted to talk to her all weekend and, she would never have admitted it to Abbie, but she waited outside of Casey's building in hope that she would catch her on her way out. Her efforts might have been in vain, but she had a feeling her luck was going to change. Casey now had her phone number and she hoped she would use it and use it often.


	8. Catching Monogamy

**A/N: This chapter is a bit Abbie-centered, but the next one will be all about Alex and Casey's first date. Thanks so much for all of the feedback and, as always, suggestions are welcome. :)**

Casey and Serena had finished their second week of law school without any struggle, but they felt as if the real challenges were yet to come. The two of them had become very fond of Professor Stuart's class. He was very intelligent and friendly to his students, which made Casey feel uneasy. Alex had told her that he always started out that way, but his charming demeanor didn't last beyond the third week. As brutal as it sounded, Alex let Casey in on the fact that no professor coddled the first-years once the first couple of weeks had passed. By then, they were expected to be at the top of their game and to prove exactly why they were worthy of Harvard. That daunting experience was still ahead of Casey, but for now she wasn't going to worry about it. She had a date with Alex in an hour and that's all she wanted to think about.

No matter how many times Casey pleaded with Alex to let her know where they were going, she refused to tell her. The only hint she would give her is that she needed to wear comfortable clothes, which only further confused Casey. Just how comfortable should these clothes be? She decided on a new pair of jeans and a University of Arizona softball shirt. The t-shirt wasn't her first choice for date attire, but during their last phone conversation Alex had mentioned wanting to see her in it. With less than fifteen minutes until she was expected to meet Alex at her apartment, Casey grabbed her keys and her wallet and headed out the door.

She arrived at Alex's apartment nearly out of breath, but she figured making it there on time was more important than being slightly out of breath. The first thing she noticed about Alex was her fitted Red-Sox t-shirt that hit slightly above her belly button.

_Alex Cabot showing some skin? Just seeing her belly button is making me think inappropriate thoughts about her. I wonder what the rest of that toned center looks like._

"Casey?" Alex asked.

_Oh, no. She caught me staring_.

"Yes?" Casey responded, snapping out of her trance.

"Did you wear that shirt just for me?"

"Maybe," Casey said and winked at her.

"It looks perfect on you," Alex told her.

They had talked on the phone for hours over the past week, but Casey noticed that they were still somewhat nervous when they were face to face with each other. She knew small talk was a nice way to start out their date, but all Casey really wanted to do was have physical contact with Alex. She wasn't ready to touch any of the clothed parts of her body and she definitely wasn't ready to have sex with her, but she wanted _something_. Not caring that Abbie was watching them from the couch, Casey gathered up the nerve to intertwine her fingers with Alex's.

"Oh, you crazy kids," Abbie teased.

_A twenty-four-year-old woman who still blushes when she's holding hands? Alex, you're one of a kind._

"You're blushing, Alex," Casey said playfully which made Alex blush even more.

"Kiss her already," Abbie insisted. Not wanting to embarrass Alex too much, Casey decided to give Alex a kiss on the cheek instead of on the lips. Their kisses were just for each other and Casey didn't like the idea of having an audience.

"Shouldn't you be out looking for your flavor of the week?" Alex asked her best friend.

"Not tonight," Abbie told her. "I'm such a menstrual case. I don't even want to think about sex right now."

Casey wished she could tell Serena what she had just heard. Although Abbie said they couldn't date each other, it broke Serena's heart to think of Abbie having sex with other women after what they had shared with each other that night.

"This is why you need to _date_," Alex told her. "When you date women instead of just using them for sex, they eventually start to give a damn about you and it wouldn't matter if you're a menstrual case. If Casey were on her period, I'd still want to spend time with her because I enjoy her company. I'd even go on a chocolate binge with her."

As awkward as that statement was, Casey couldn't help liking Alex even more after hearing what she had just said.

"Get outta here," Abbie insisted. "Go enjoy your date before I catch monogamy from the two of you."

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes after Alex and Casey had left, Abbie heard a knock on her apartment door as scheduled. She was wearing sweats and a t-shirt, but she decided to remove her shirt before answering the door, leaving her in nothing but Harvard sweatpants and a white cotton bra. It wasn't the most flattering bra she owned; it didn't add an extra cup size or give her an added lift, but for once she wasn't trying to be sexy. For the first time in all of her adult years, Abbie Carmichael actually wanted to be <em>cute<em>.

Just seconds after answering the door, Abbie was pressed against the wall by her beautiful blonde guest. She had tried to pace the two of them, but while her younger woman was nibbling on her neck, she took things a bit further by untying the draw string on Abbie's sweatpants.

"Whoa, whoa," Abbie said and grabbed her hand. "I'm kind of a mess down there."

"How?" she asked. "I don't care if you didn't trim. I think it's sexy when women actually have hair, especially when it's dark like yours."

"It's that time of the month," Abbie told her in between kisses. "But I can still touch _you_, Serena. I can still taste you and be inside you and—"

Serena shook her head. "No, it's not the same. Part of the fun of being with Abbie Carmichael is being able to touch her."

"I'm sorry if I brought you here under false pretenses, but do you still want to spend time with me?" Abbie asked. She knew she sounded desperate, but at that point she really didn't care. She may not have been able to have sex with Serena but she still wanted her around for as long as she could have her.

"I didn't walk over here and risk the two of us getting caught, just so I could have sex with you," Serena admitted. "I could have sex with any woman I want—so could you, yet we're risking everything to see each other. That has to mean there's something there."

"Or maybe we just get off on the thrill," Abbie suggested. She knew that definitely wasn't it, but she didn't want Serena to know she was already interested in her.

"Right," Serena said sarcastically.

"I rented _Texas Chain Saw Massacre_. Watch it with me?" Abbie asked in a hopeful tone of voice.

"That movie scares the hell out of me," Serena told her. "You might have to hold me the whole time and I might have to bury my face in your shoulder during certain scenes."

"I suppose I'll allow that, but only tonight," Abbie teased. "After tonight, I can't promise you anything."

Abbie had planned on sitting up and putting her arm around Serena, but Serena had something else in mind. She told Abbie to lie down, so she could squeeze in next to her on the couch. Abbie was lying flat on her back with Serena turned on her side. After a few minutes of watching the movie, Abbie was holding her closer than she had ever held anyone before.

"I don't hate this," she admitted.

"Don't hate what?" Serena asked.

"This," Abbie told her. "Having someone in my arms."

"Someone or _me_? There's a big difference."

"Just you, I guess," Abbie responded. "I've never held anyone else."

"This is all new to you, isn't it?" Serena asked.

"Yeah, but let's not talk about it."

Serena started laughing. "I popped your cherry, didn't I? I popped your girl crush cherry!"

"Don't go thinking I have a crush on you now," Abbie said, trying not to be embarrassed. "I just like looking at you. When you talk, it kinda ruins it."

"It's only a matter of time before you're madly in love with me," Serena insisted and gave Abbie a kiss on the cheek.

"None of that," Abbie said as she wiped her face. "We're grown women, we can kiss each other on the lips."

"Oh, but I prefer _this_," Serena said and kissed her on the cheek again. This time it was a sloppier kiss just to spite Abbie.

Abbie desperately tried to change the subject. "Oh, look. Leatherface is cutting someone with a chain saw."

"You Texans," Serena teased. "Why do I have a feeling when I meet your family, they're going to look exactly like these people?"

Abbie scoffed. "First you think I have a crush on you, then you say I'm going to fall in love with you. Now you think you're going to meet my family someday. You have some nerve, kid."

Abbie was surprised when Serena didn't respond with a smart-aleck comment. Instead, Serena rested her head on Abbie's chest and pulled a blanket over the two of them. When the movie ended, Abbie looked down and noticed that Serena had fallen asleep with a slight smile on her face. Not wanting to wake her up, Abbie delicately kissed her forehead, but Serena opened her eyes anyway.

"I should go," Serena told her.

"Don't," Abbie insisted. "Stay with me."

"You _do _have a girl crush," Serena teased.

"Nevermind," Abbie said and gave her a goodbye kiss.

"I'm sorry I fell asleep," Serena said shyly.

"Don't be," Abbie told her. "You looked really beautiful."

Serena rolled her eyes. "And you still insist you don't have a crush on me."

"Get out of here," Abbie said and playfully tossed one of the decorative pillows at her.

"I'm leaving, but not because you told me to," Serena insisted. "Let's make that perfectly clear."

"Fine," Abbie responded. "Call me when you get to your dorm so I know you made it home safely."

Abbie cared about Serena's safety, but there was no way she'd tell Serena that was just an excuse to be able to hear her voice again. She had also wanted Serena to stay, but a part of her was grateful that Serena had refused. Abbie hadn't told Alex that Serena was coming over because she didn't want her best friend to think she was becoming a softie. She could just _imagine _what Alex would say if she had seen the two of them cuddling earlier.

After hearing that Serena had made it home, Abbie finally felt at ease. She took her make-up off, put some pajamas on, and decided to tackle some reading before Alex got home. At that moment, her best friend was on her first real date with Casey and she knew she'd be getting an earful from her when she returned, not that she minded a single bit. Alex deserved some excitement in her life and Abbie knew Casey was just the woman to give that to her.


	9. The Virgin Queen

Casey had an idea where they were going once she saw Alex's Red Sox shirt, but she hated to assume anything when it came to Alex—or any woman she was dating, for that matter. Once they got on a subway car filled with rowdy Red Sox fans, Casey's suspicions were confirmed. She had been to professional baseball games before, but in all of her twenty-one years she had never had a team or the desire to follow a team. Her father had taught her about the love of the game itself rather than team loyalty and that's something Casey had taken to heart. She loved everything about the game and she was great at it. All of the top college softball programs had wanted her and had offered her full scholarships when she was only seventeen-years-old. While her high school classmates were stressing about where they were going to school the next year, Casey was receiving acceptance packet after acceptance packet. When she started playing softball for the University of Arizona, she was thrilled and she knew she had made the right choice. As was expected of her, Casey excelled on their softball team all four years of her college career. She loved every moment she spent on the field, which is why it was heartbreaking when she graduated a few months ago and had to leave it all behind. Mr. Novak had always known if Casey was a guy she would be playing professional baseball after college, but as a woman she had to choose a different career path.

While standing toe-to-toe with Alex on a crowded subway, Casey realized choosing law school, especially Harvard, wasn't such a bad decision after all.

"I'm going to make you a Red Sox fan," Alex told her once they had arrived at their destination.

"What makes you so sure?" Casey teased.

"You're already crazy about me and I know it's only a matter of time before you're also crazy about my team," Alex said flirtatiously.

Casey wondered where this woman had come from. She was used to the shy, awkward Alex.

Casey pulled her in for a hug. She had wanted to do so much more, but she knew kissing another woman in front of rowdy sports fans wasn't a great idea. "I think I'm going to be crazy about everything of yours."

Once she saw Casey wink at her, Alex couldn't help blushing. "Someone's a little presumptuous. Trust me when I say it'll be awhile before you get the opportunity to be crazy about any of _that_."

The moment they arrived at Fenway Park, Alex insisted that Casey should own a Red Sox cap. There were a bunch of pink ones for women, but a pink baseball cap definitely wasn't her style, so she settled on a regular blue cap with a red 'B' embroidered on it. She had combed her hair down, but she knew caps looked better with ponytails, so she grabbed a rubber band from her pocket and tied her hair up in a ponytail.

"You look hot," Alex said nervously.

"Hot?" Casey asked. "Did I hear you correctly?"

"Was that out of line?"

Casey started laughing. "Of course it wasn't. I just never expected that term to come out of your mouth."

"Why do you think I'm so prim and proper?" Alex asked. "For that matter, why does everyone?"

"It's hard to explain," Casey began. "I wouldn't say it's a bad thing. There's just something about your presence that commands respect. You can use that to your advantage in the courtroom someday."

"I guess," Alex said and averted her eyes. "But that's not all I am. I like to have—well, I _want _to have fun. I just need someone to bring out that side of me. Abbie has tried, but she's a little _extreme _sometimes and her idea of fun is having sex with random women."

Casey smiled. "That's where I come in."

"For the sex part?"

"No," Casey scoffed. "You're beautiful and I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to have sex with you eventually—but it's not something I want to rush into. We don't know each other very well, but I know you're not just going to be some fling. I want to bring you out of your shell and I want us to have fun together."

"Casey…" Alex hesitated.

"Yeah?"

"There's something you should know about me."

"I want to know _everything _about you," Casey told her.

Alex suddenly became nervous. "I've never—I've never—"

"You've never…"

"Forget it," Alex said and smiled at her. "I'll tell you some other time. The game is about to start."

* * *

><p>Throughout the entire nine innings, Alex had a hard time paying attention to the game because all of her thoughts were of Casey. She didn't know what she was feeling for her or if it was possible to already feel something for her, but Alex knew Casey was bringing out a side of her that no one else had. For the first time in her life, Alex was laughing more and it was all because of a twenty-one-year-old redhead with beautiful green eyes and soft lips that Alex loved kissing.<p>

The Red Sox had lost, but Alex didn't care—for once she didn't care. She was just glad that Casey enjoyed herself at her first Red Sox game. As they were walking out of the stadium, Alex couldn't believe how much her life had changed in just a couple of weeks. Before Casey, she was always lonely and spent most of her time studying while Abbie was having sex with some flavor of the week. Abbie had always set some time aside just for the two of them, but there was still something missing. Abbie was her best friend and their relationship with each other was strictly platonic. The two of them could count on each other for anything, but there were needs Alex had that Abbie couldn't fulfill. What she needed was for someone to look at her the way Casey was at that exact moment.

"Casey?"

"What's up?"

"I have the strongest urge to kiss you right now," Alex admitted. "It's overwhelming me."

Casey raised an eyebrow at her. "So, kiss me. I'd never object to you kissing me."

"I can't. At least, I can't right here," Alex said as she looked around. "I know we can find a secluded spot around here to kiss, but there are…ways…I want to kiss you that would be inappropriate even in a secluded spot."

Casey couldn't help smiling. "Oh, I get it. You want to make out with me. Alex Cabot wants to make out with me."

Alex started blushing. "I do. Is that okay?"

"Alex, that's beyond okay," Casey told her. "I just know how we both are and I think our first make-out session should be somewhere other than an alley. It's a little late right now, but I can ask Serena to go to the library for awhile tomorrow. I'm sure she wouldn't mind. We already made a pact to do that for each other."

"No, don't do that," Alex insisted. "Serena shouldn't be banished to the library while we make out. Abbie is hardly ever home on weekends, so it wouldn't be a problem for us to have some time alone at my apartment."

"I'll see you tomorrow," Casey said when they arrived at Alex's apartment. "Call me when you know what time you want me over."

"Okay," Alex agreed. She started blushing again when Casey grabbed her hand and lifted it up to her lips for a gentle kiss. What they really wanted was to kiss each other on the lips, but they both knew if they were to take that step, they'd feel the urge to do a little more than give each other an innocent good night kiss.

"Thanks for tonight."

"You're welcome," Alex told her. "Thanks for spending time with me."

_Thanks spending time with me? Thanks for spending time with me? You just made yourself sound beyond desperate, Cabot._

When Alex entered her apartment, she found Abbie smiling at her from the living room couch. _She looks a little too happy for just staying home by herself_, Alex thought, but she decided not to question it.

"By the size of that cheesy smile on your face, I take it your date went well," Abbie observed.

"It was _great_," Alex said, nearly gushing. "We're going to see each other again tomorrow night."

"That's a good sign," Abbie told her. "Not that I know about this whole dating thing, of course. What do you have planned for her?"

Alex became nervous all over again. "We want to spend some time here."

"Movie night?" Abbie asked. "I know it has to be something innocent. The Virgin Queen isn't just going to have sex after only one real date."

"We want to make out," Alex said hesitantly. "Just make out, not have sex. We aren't ready for that."

Abbie started grinning. "Taking the next step? Way to go. The place is all yours tomorrow."

"Abbie, I have a problem."

"You're going to make out with your dream girl. What kind of problem can you have?"

"Promise not to judge me?"

"Alex, you know if you start a confession with that, I'm almost obligated to judge you."

"True," Alex said with a nervous smile on her face. "Okay, I know you're going to judge me, but I've never…"

"Never…what?"

"I've never made out with anyone," Alex said and then quickly turned away from Abbie.

Abbie reacted just the way Alex had expected her to. She started to frantically kick while she was lying on the couch before hiding her face with her blanket for a few seconds—anything to prevent herself from laughing.

"Say something!" Alex urged her. "I know you want to."

"What? _What?_ You're serious?" Abbie asked, still unable to compose herself. "You really are the Virgin Queen. Not having sex by age twenty-four is understandable and there are plenty of women who wait for the right person, but you've never even made out with a woman? Alex, please tell me you're kidding."

Alex pointed to the expression on her face. "Do I look like I'm kidding? I'm scared to death, Abbie."

"There's nothing to be scared of," Abbie insisted. "You obviously like her and you want her, so just do what feels right."

"I think I'm okay with kissing," Alex admitted. "She hasn't complained about that, but where am I supposed to put my hands? What if she wants to stick her tongue in my mouth?"

Abbie tried to keep herself from laughing because she knew her best friend was being serious. "Alex, you're going to be making out. Of course she'll want to stick her tongue in your mouth and she'll probably give you a hickey. And there's no definitive place to put your hands. She'll probably even let you unhook her bra. When you're making out, everything above the waist is fair game. That's like an unwritten rule."

"Hmm…" Alex said, imagining the possibilities. "Wait, I don't know how to give a hickey or how to stick my tongue in a woman's mouth and I've definitely never touched another woman's breasts before."

"We can practice right now if you want to," Abbie teased. "I can turn you into an expert."

"Abbie," Alex groaned.

"You're going to be okay," Abbie reassured her. "Casey's hot. Whenever you get nervous, just imagine how great it's going to feel to be pressed against that toned, athletic body of hers. I know imagining that is getting me turned on and I'm not even the one who is going to be making out with her."

"Back off," Alex said as she lied down next to Abbie on the couch. "For once, I have a woman after me instead of you and there's no way in hell I'm going to let you have her."


	10. Rose Petals

It was Alex's big day and Abbie couldn't help but spend the entire afternoon teasing her for never having made out with a woman. She couldn't be happier for her best friend, but she was having way too much fun teasing her; however, the teasing stopped when she saw how nervous Alex was. That's when she sat her down and gave her a few pointers on how to make out with a woman. She had already told her that there was no definitive place to put her hands, but that wasn't enough for Alex. The two of them role-played with each other as best as they could without actually making out. Assuming that Casey was going to be the one to initiate everything, Abbie decided to take Casey's role. She grabbed Alex's hands and showed her various ways to position them. It was all so childish to Abbie, but Alex was taking everything seriously—so seriously that she decided to jot down a few notes on what Abbie was saying. When she put the tablet down, Abbie saw that there were also drawings of stick figures to accompany these notes.

_If she's this nervous about making out, sex is going to blow her mind._

Once Alex had picked out the perfect outfit, Abbie took it as her cue to leave. Earlier, she had put on a pair of workout pants and a hooded sweatshirt, so Alex would think she was going to the gym for a couple of hours, but her ensemble was merely a disguise. She was about to risk everything to visit Serena in her dorm. Before meeting Serena, Abbie couldn't fathom being with the same woman more than once let alone risking her job just to spend time with her. A couple of her first-year law students lived in the same building as Serena, so she made sure to pop the hood over her head and disguise herself as best as she could in the shapeless pants and sweatshirt. Abbie felt unattractive, but while it was that time of the month, she honestly didn't care.

The moment she arrived at Serena's dorm, Serena grabbed her by the neckline of her sweatshirt and pulled her in. Abbie had expected some small talk, but instead Serena just pushed her against the wall and started kissing her.

"I want to take your clothes off," Serena whispered into her ear.

"Can't," Abbie reminded her. "It's that time of the month."

Serena wrapped her arms around her. "I'm so sorry I forgot, but it's okay. All that means is that we get to cuddle and get to know each other better."

Abbie pretended to be disappointed, but she was actually ecstatic. She had wanted to cuddle with Serena all day and now she finally had her opportunity.

* * *

><p>Alex fastened the strapless bra that Abbie had told her to wear. She had told her that a bra with straps would get in the way and it wasn't as sexy as a strapless bra, especially a strapless bra that fastened in the front. As she fastened it, she couldn't believe that by the end of the night, another woman would actually be unfastening it. The thought of it was almost too much to handle, so she decided to find a way to help her relax. Casey was due to arrive any moment, which made Alex even more nervous. She got up to check her appearance in the mirror and that's when she heard a knock at her door.<p>

"I'll be right there," Alex shouted as she fixed her hair and make-up one last time. She had wanted to wear lipstick, but Abbie told her lipstick was a bad idea because it would smear all over Casey.

When Alex saw Casey, the first thought that came to mind was how lucky she was for getting to kiss her and be alone with her. Alex had been attracted to other women, but never in her life had she felt like this. Casey was everything she had wanted in a woman; she was intelligent, pretty, fun, and incredibly caring. Alex felt comfortable with her and she knew she was ready to let Casey in on her secret.

"I missed you," Alex said as she cuddled with Casey on her bed. She had never laid on her bed with another woman and she worried about being too forward.

_If I'm kissing her as we're lying on my bed, will that make her think I want to have sex with her? Is that a bad thing? Who wouldn't want to have sex with her? She's so gorgeous. _

"You get right to the point, don't you?" Casey teased.

"Am I being too forward?" Alex asked nervously.

"No," Casey responded. "I'd just never take you for the type who brings girls to her bed right away. You do this often?"

"Actually," Alex began. "There's something I've been wanting to tell you and I'm hoping it won't change anything between us."

"Go ahead," Casey urged. "I won't judge you."

_Here goes nothing._

"Casey, I'm…"

Casey waited for Alex to continue, but all she did was start biting her lip. "Alex, you're what? You're beautiful? I already knew that."

"I'm a virgin," Alex said quickly.

"You're a _what_?"

"I'm a virgin," Alex repeated. "I'm not exactly thrilled about it, but I've never had sex and I've never made out."

"Why?" Casey asked in complete shock.

"Casey!"

"I'm sorry," Casey said and kissed her hand. "I've just never met a twenty-four-year-old virgin before. That's kind of like finding a unicorn."

"Now you're probably going to think I'm a freak," Alex said as she took her hand away from Casey. Instead of giving her space, Casey decided to do just the opposite. She wrapped her arms around Alex and pulled her even closer to her.

"If anything, it makes me respect you even more," Casey told her. "There's nothing wrong with being a virgin, Alex. All it means is that you have respect for yourself and respect for the woman you're meant to be with."

"Abbie makes fun of me for it."

"Well, Abbie isn't normal," Casey reassured her. "I know she's your best friend, but there's something not…right…about her. Sex should be special and an experience you only share with a woman you love. I don't see how she and Serena can just have sex with women who mean nothing to them."

"When did you lose your virginity?" Alex asked.

"I was eighteen," Casey informed her. "And she was my girlfriend. We were together for three years, but she graduated in '94 and then went off to medical school in San Francisco while I still had one year of college left. We tried having a long distance relationship, but she started seeing someone else. She's the only woman I've ever had sex with, in case you were wondering. I was devastated my entire senior year and I went as far as swearing off women for the rest of my life."

"How's that working out for you?" Alex asked playfully.

"Swearing off women has been very difficult ever since I've met you."

"I'm sorry she broke your heart."

"I'm not," Casey told her. "It's for the best."

"I've had…opportunities," Alex admitted. "But nothing about them seemed right. I'm not saving myself for marriage, but I'm saving myself for the woman I could marry _eventually_. You probably think I'm weird now."

"Not at all," Casey told her. "This reminds me of a story my mom told me when I was a teenager, except she didn't mean for it to be about two women. Imagine you and the woman you fall in love with are both given a really beautiful rose when you're born and every time you have sex with a different person throughout the course of your life you have to remove one of the petals from that rose. When you finally meet the woman you're meant to be with, you give your rose over to her and she gives hers to you. When it's time to give that rose away to someone, wouldn't you rather give her one that's still immaculate? It would mean so much more than one that's missing most of its petals or one that is nothing but a stem."

"Case?"

"Yes, beautiful? I mean, yes, Alex?"

_That's the second time tonight that she's called me beautiful._

"I've never thought about my virginity that way," Alex said before kissing her. "Thank you for making me feel better."

"Let's not make out tonight," Casey told her. "I want to make out with you, but I don't want it to be planned the way this was. _If _the right time comes for us to make out with each other, it's going to be special. You've been saving yourself for twenty-four years, Alex, and you deserve for everything to be done the right way. Let me take you out to dinner instead and we can spend some more time getting to know each other."

Alex gave her another kiss on the lips. "I'd like that."

* * *

><p>Casey arrived at her dorm that night feeling happier than she had been in a long time. Her dinner date with Alex had gone well and they spent over an hour talking to each other about anything that was on their mind. With Alex, conversations were never forced. She genuinely loved talking to her and she was always interested in knowing what was on Alex's mind and what Alex's opinions were. Casey had wanted to take her to a nice restaurant, but Alex insisted on going to one of the local pizza places instead. Alex and Abbie always swore by it, so Casey figured it was worth trying, especially because they could get two large slices of pizza and a soda for $3.<p>

"What base did you get to?" Serena asked as she smiled at Casey from her bed.

"It's not about getting to a certain base," Casey insisted.

"Oh, so you struck out?"

"I know you'll find this hard to believe, Serena, but there _are _more important things than sex."

Serena started laughing. "The only women who say that are those who don't get laid enough."

Casey noticed the hickeys all over Serena's neck and started to wonder what woman Serena had invited over. _I guess she isn't so heartbroken about Abbie if she's already seeing other women._

"Who was it this time?" Casey asked as she sat down next to Serena, but there was no verbal response from her. Instead, Serena started crying. Casey spent the rest of the night consoling her even though she had no idea who her date was or why she was crying. She had planned on telling her all about her evening with Alex, but now there was no way she would flaunt her happiness in front of Serena.


	11. The Big 22

The end of September had approached, which meant Casey had been in law school for a month already, but that month was a blur for her. Between spending time with Alex and all of the reading her professors were assigning she didn't even have time to notice a month had passed since she started at Harvard. That single month had changed Casey's life forever. Before she attended Harvard, she had friends but none of them were like Serena. Serena was the first person she felt as if she could ever call her best friend. They may not have come from the same background, but they still had so much in common and they were able to confide in each other, especially when it came to women, which is why Casey was unnerved by Serena's constant crying. Casey knew it had to be about a woman, but she hadn't seen Serena with anyone recently. She hoped it wasn't about Abbie, but who else could make her cry the way Abbie could?

"Rena, are you okay?" Casey asked her crying best friend.

"I'm fine," Serena insisted.

"No, you're not," Casey told her. "If you were fine, you wouldn't spend most of your time crying in this room."

"It's Abbie."

"I knew it was Abbie. Are you two still seeing each other?"

"I don't know," Serena shrugged. "She sneaks over here every now and then or I sneak over to her apartment, but I feel like she's using me. Sometimes she wants to cuddle, but she usually just calls me when she wants to have sex. I should be grateful that she just wants to have sex with me and no other woman, right?"

"No, Serena," Casey said as she held her hand. "You shouldn't just settle. You deserve more than that and you need to tell her you're not going to allow her to use you whenever she wants to have sex or whenever she wants affection."

"I know," Serena sighed. "And she doesn't call me to ask how I'm doing. I know we have to hide the fact that we're seeing each other, but in class she acts as if I don't even exist." Serena wiped her tears away with her sleeve. "I should call her right now."

Before Serena could call Abbie, the two of them heard a knock at the door. "I'll get it," she told Casey. Serena was surprised to find Abbie and Alex standing on the other side holding a cake. She didn't know how to feel when she saw Abbie. Serena was torn between wanting to kiss her and just plain wanting to slap her. Not wanting to cause a scene, she let them in and smiled when Alex went straight over to kiss Casey.

"What's this for?" Casey asked playfully.

"Your birthday," Alex told her. "Don't tell me you forgot your own birthday."

"I can honestly say I did," Casey said as she looked at the cake Alex was holding. "How did you even know?"

"I took a peak at your license last time we went out for drinks," Alex informed her. "I've had this planned for a week now."

"She even made the cake herself," Abbie cut in. "I was her guinea pig, which shows how great of a friend I am. This is her third cake today and she finally got it right. She wanted to write 'happy birthday' on it, but neither of us know how to write with icing, so she just drew a heart. She said her heart is yours or something lame like that."

"I did _not _say that," Alex scoffed.

"She did," Abbie told Casey. "She really did. I did everything I could not to roll my eyes at her."

"Why are you dressed like that?" Casey asked Abbie.

"Like what?" Abbie responded.

"Like you're about to rob a bank. You have everything but the ski mask."

"Because she's not supposed to be here," Alex answered for her. "If someone catches her here, she could lose her job."

"But I had to see Serena," Abbie said and Casey could see Serena smile for the first time that day.

"Can I talk to you?" Serena asked Abbie.

"Yeah, but only for a little while," Abbie insisted. "I can't be outside your room for very long."

"Don't risk it," Alex cut in. "Casey and I will go outside."

"The cake can wait," Casey teased. "Besides, I want time alone with Alex."

Once Abbie and Serena were alone, Abbie pulled Serena on the bed with her. The first girl she ever felt anything for was crying and Abbie wanted to find out exactly why. She knew it had something to do with their arrangement, but she was too afraid to budge.

"Tell me why you're crying," Abbie insisted.

"No," Serena said as she tried to get away, but it was no use. Abbie wrapped her arms around her even tighter and wouldn't let her get away.

"It's me, isn't it?"

"You're so full of yourself," Serena said, trying one more time to get away, but Abbie was so much stronger than her.

"Is it?"

"Yes!" Serena nearly yelled.

"I'm scared, okay?" Abbie admitted.

"Of someone finding out?" Serena asked.

"Of you," Abbie told her. "As much as I hate my job, I'd rather not lose it, but even if I lost it, I know I could find something else eventually even if I'm working at a coffee shop. That wouldn't look as good on my resume as being an assistant, but if it came down to that, I'd do it. What scares me is what I'm feeling about you. I've never been with the same woman more than once and here I am seeing you twice a week outside of class. I'm not used to this, Serena. I'm not used to cuddling and being affectionate, but I'm willing to try all of this with you if we just go at my pace."

"Your pace is practically snail-like," Serena said seriously. "Do you promise you're not using me until you find some other woman?"

"Serena, Serena," Abbie said and kissed her hand. "If I was after one thing, wouldn't I find some other woman to get it from? Some woman I could remain anonymous with?"

"Yes, but you could get be getting some from me and another woman on the side," Serena pointed out. "How do I know I'm your only one?"

"Ask Alex," Abbie insisted.

"She's your best friend. She'd probably lie for you."

"Then what can I do?" Abbie asked.

"Nothing," Serena told her. "I'd just feel more secure if I could actually be seen with you. I hate all of this sneaking around. It's like we're having an affair. It feels so wrong."

"Just two and a half more months and I'll take you everywhere," Abbie promised. "You'll be so sick of me."

"Are you saying you'll make me your girlfriend?"

"I didn't say that," Abbie responded even if meant breaking Serena's heart. "You know I'm not ready for this whole girlfriend thing. Serena, it's been a month. Not even Alex and Casey are girlfriend and girlfriend yet. You're not an undergraduate anymore, Serena. Relationships are different when you're an adult. I'm graduating in May and I need to focus on my future. I don't have time for a serious relationship."

"So, I'm what—a plaything?" Serena asked angrily.

"I didn't say that," Abbie insisted. "You know you're more than that."

"Get out, Abbie."

"But Serena—"

"Get out!" Serena shouted.

"This is the last time I'm coming over here, Serena," Abbie insisted. "Are you sure that's what you want?"

"Get out! Get out! Get out!" Serena said as she pointed at the door.

Not wanting to argue with her, Abbie left Serena's dorm. She was going to tell Alex she was going home, but Alex and Casey were nowhere in sight. It was Casey's birthday and she felt bad about not having a celebration as a foursome, but she wasn't in the mood to explain that to Serena.

* * *

><p>"Happy birthday, beautiful," Alex said as she held on to Casey. They were cuddling on a nearby bench and Alex couldn't believe her luck. She was holding onto the most beautiful woman she had ever seen and she was learning what it was like to fall for someone for the first time.<p>

"The big twenty-two," Casey said and started kissing her. "I'm so glad I get to spend it with you. This is the best birthday I've ever had."

The more she looked at Casey, the more she felt as if she was ready to give herself to her in every possible way. She knew she shouldn't rush into having a sexual relationship, but she wanted to give Casey something special for her birthday.

"Case?"

"Yes, my darling?"

"I have something special for you," Alex whispered into her ear.

"Birthday cake?" Casey teased.

"I'm hoping it's better than birthday cake," Alex said flirtatiously. "I want to do what we tried doing the other day. Since Abbie is with Serena, we'll have my apartment all to ourselves."

Before Alex could get an answer from Casey, they noticed Abbie storm out of the building and walk right past them.

"If _she_ looks distraught, I can imagine how Serena feels," Casey told Alex. "Maybe I should go inside."

"But your birthday celebration," Alex pointed out. "What are we going to do?"

"Serena is my best friend," Casey told her. "I have to make sure she's okay. I can't just flaunt my happiness in front of her. We'll do something tomorrow. Besides, you should check on Abbie. If she's showing any emotion at all, that must mean something bad happened."

"You're such a good friend," Alex said before kissing Casey.

Casey stole one more kiss from her. "If a woman is a good friend, that usually means she'd make a good girlfriend. Just thought I'd throw that out there."

"Who told you _that_?" Alex asked playfully. "Come to my place tomorrow night. I'll have a surprise for you."

"I'm going to spend the next twenty-four hours thinking about that surprise," Casey said and stole one final kiss from Alex.

"See you tomorrow then," Alex said even though she was still holding on to Casey.

"Yeah, tomorrow," Casey agreed.

"Casey, we're stalling."

"We are."

"I don't want to leave you, but since I have to you can enjoy your birthday cake with Serena."

"I had completely forgotten about eating any birthday cake. I just want time with you. I don't want to leave you either."

"I wish we could spend the whole night together," Alex told her. "You, me, my bed, and an entire night to do whatever we wanted."

"What's come over you?" Casey asked playfully.

"You," Alex confessed. "I've never felt this before."

"I don't want to rush anything, Alex, but someday when I know you're ready I'll be more than happy to spend the night with you."

Hearing just how patient and understanding Casey was made Alex smile uncontrollably. "I should go. Abbie needs me and I know Serena needs you."

"Come here," Casey said and kissed her more passionately than she ever had before. Alex slightly parted her lips, which Casey took as an invitation to explore her mouth with her tongue.

"Casey!" Alex said and started blushing. "Did I just feel your tongue in my mouth?"

"Yeah, is that okay?" Casey asked worriedly.

"I loved it. Do it again."

"Tomorrow," Casey promised.

Alex knew she was in for a long talk with Abbie when she got home, but during that walk back to her apartment, she felt like everything was right with the world.


End file.
